Social enterprise
So what is a social enterprise?
HCT Group is a social enterprise, but what does that mean?
If you have ever bought the Big Issue or a bar of Divine chocolate, heard of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen chain of restaurants, visited the Eden Project or shopped at the Co-op, then you already know a bit about social enterprise: a growing, worldwide movement of businesses that exist to change the world for the better.
A social enterprise is a business that trades to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment - a way of doing business that puts people and the planet first.
Social enterprises exist to make a difference to the communities where they work. They get their money through trade, just like a normal business, but the money they make is reinvested back into the communities where it is earned.
Social enterprises don’t have shareholders and can’t sell out to big business, so they can focus on making their communities better places to live and work. They often work alongside the community to design the services they provide, making sure that people’s needs are really met.
What a refreshing change!
You can see the difference that HCT Group is making in its communities in our latest social impact report here
Social Enterprise UK, the national body for social enterprises, has an excellent introduction to the social enterprise movement here – and their website is well worth a look.
The Social Enterprise Mark
The Social Enterprise Mark was launched nationally on 1 February 2010 as the brand for social enterprises. The Mark indentifies businesses that meet defined criteria for social enterprise, helping the public to recognise companies that are trading to benefit people and planet.
HCT Group was awarded the Social Enterprise Mark on the day of its national launch, satisfying the rigorous selection criteria. It is the only mainstream bus operator to have been awarded the Mark to date.
More information about the Social Enterprise Mark can be found by visiting their website
